history

Minnesota's only two licensed marine archaeologists have made it their mission to study what’s at the bottom of local lakes—including Lake Minnetonka—in order to better understand our past. Read more about What's at the Bottom of Minnesota's Lakes? These Marine Archaeologists Are Finding Out

In 1901, Dr. George LaPaul had a stern-wheel steamboat built bearing his name at a cost of $10,000.

The George launched from the Excelsior docks with a large crowd of over 1,000 spectators. The boat held 800 passengers and was the largest boat on Lake Minnetonka at the time.

In 1908, after various owners and re-namings, the Excelsior was considered antiquated, was decommissioned, and shortly afterward had her engines, boilers and other valuable equipment removed. Read more about In 1909, Thousands Watched a Fiery Funeral for Lake Minnetonka's Largest Boat

Noerenberg Gardens is the former estate of the Grain Belt brewing family. Read more about The Grain Belt Family Farm Lies on Lake Minnetonka's Shores—and You Can Visit It

Many have driven past and visited Oak Hill Cemetery, located along Excelsior Boulevard and Highway 7 near Excelsior, where more than a thousand local residents have been buried since the 1800s. Read more about The History of Oak Hill Cemetery Holds Lessons for the Present

Scott McGinnis’ personal history with the Lake Minnetonka area began back in 1856, when his ancestors moved south of Excelsior. Read more about Local Author Has Been 'Hooked On History' Since Age 12

The lives of the Halsted brothers ended sadly near the Lake Minnetonka bay that bears their name. Read more about The Tragedy of Lake Minnetonka's Halsted Brothers

Boulder Bridge Farm, once owned by the Daytons, was at one point the largest of Lake Minnetonka's "gentleman farms." Read more about The History of Boulder Bridge Farm

Built in 1893 by “Minnetonka’s Boat Builder” Arthur Dyer for Hazen and Ward Burton, the boat was conceived with the idea that greater speed could be attained by sailing over the water, rather than through it. Read more about How a Minnetonka Sloop Changed Sailing Boat Design Forever

As a child, I thought the Easter bunny laid eggs, usually in the form of chocolate or pink plastic. Only some three decades later, when I started keeping a flock of backyard chickens, did I understand the biological basis for the thrill of spring eggs. Read more about Why Does the Easter Bunny Bring Eggs?